In 1912
the new
Republic of China adopted as its war flag the banner that had been raised by
Army rebels in 1911: a red field for China with a black star and eighteen
gold balls, one for each province of the nation. In 1928, however, the
government of General Chiang Kai-shek abolished both the Five-Color Flag
and the 1912 war flag. The 1912 naval ensign became China's national flag, and
the 1912 war flag was replaced by a
red flag with the White Sun in Blue Sky Flag centered. These flags disappeared
from mainland China after the Communist victory in 1949, but they are still
used by the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Today the war flag is used on ceremonial occasions to represent the Army.
With a vertical white stripe at the hoist bearing an appropriate inscription
in Chinese characters, it also serves as a unit flag.

The fringed distinguishing flags of the commander and deputy
commander of the
Army, based on the war flag, date from 1953. Note the small pennants, charged with a gold plum blossom, that
are
placed on the staff above the flags. These flags were replaced in 1958 by
designs similar to the current chief of staff and deputy chief of
staff flags. They and the current rank and
rank flags of the Army are green and bear the Army badge, with stars or (for
colonels) plum blossoms according to position or rank. Up to the mid-1980s
the stars and plum blossoms were white rather than yellow.

Flag Proportions:
Current Republic of China Army flags have 2:3 proportions. The
original 1928 war flag and some other
past military flags were made in 3:4 proportions, as illustrated.